I want to personally invite you all to a special “Legislative Update” edition of my monthly coffee chat. Joining me will be guest speakers from our Arizona State Legislature to discuss current policy issues facing Arizona. In order to accommodate these speakers, and the unique topic, this coffee chat will be a half hour longer than normal and run from 7:30am – 9:00am. The location is the Sunnyslope Senior Center which is located at 802 E Vogel Ave. I hope to see you all out there for what I’m sure will be a fascinating conversation. Sincerely,

District 3 Coffee Chat

March Coffee Chat Date: Tuesday March 22, 2016 Time: 7:30am - 9:00am Location: Sunnyslope Senior Center

802 E Vogel Ave, Phoenix, AZ 85020

Legislators Confirmed: Senator Nancy Barto - LD 15 Representative Heather Carter – LD 15 Representative Anthony Kern - LD 20 Representative Kate Brophy McGee – LD 28 Representative Dr. Eric Meyer – LD 28

Latest Gateway to Phoenix Traffic Assessment Van

In his latest segment of Gateway to Phoenix, Councilman Bill Gates is on location in District 3 to check out the Streets Department's Pavement Assessment Van with Rubben Lolly, a civil engineer. Visit youtu.be/CvBsN4-F_FA for the full video or access it from the link in the email.

Where’s Bill?????

A. C. B.

IT’S THAT TIME OF YEAR AGAIN!

~ Join Councilman Gates for the 4th Annual North 32nd Bike Event ~

Saturday, March 12, 2016

8:30 – 11:00 AM Northeast corner of 32nd Street and Shea

Bike Ride at 9:30 AM (Family Friendly)

Community Bike Ride Bike Rodeo

Bike Registration

City of Phoenix Booths Community Booths

Raffle

If your business or organization is interested in having space for a booth or donating a raffle prize please contact my office at 602.262.7441 or Council.District.3@phoenix.gov.

Aviation Media – SKY HARBOR SETS NEW RECORD!! December statistics are now available and show that Sky Harbor set a NEW RECORD for total passengers in calendar year 2015, serving slightly more than 44 million people. This breaks the previous annual passenger record of nearly 42.2 million, set in 2007.

Phoenix Parks and Recreation Department Needs Your Help!

Pool Hours Resident Survey The City of Phoenix Parks and Recreation Department and its nationally recognized aquatics program is always striving for ways to improve its programs and operations. Currently, we are considering a pilot schedule for swim lessons and open swim times at Cielito, Deer Valley, Starlight, Paradise Valley and Pecos pools for summer 2016. We are looking for your valued input on this possible change. If we receive positive feedback from this pilot program, we will consider implementing this change at all pools for the 2017 season. Please provide your input by March 1, 2016.

Copy and paste this link into your browser to access the survey: surveymonkey.com/r/swim-lessons-format

Hurry! There is Still Time to Take the “We READ” 30-Day Challenge

The annual “We READ” 30-day challenge at

Phoenix Public Library is off to a great start with

more than 8,300 kids having already accepted

the challenge in just the first week! Your family is

invited to take the challenge. Build a strong

learning foundation, have fun as a family - come

to Phoenix Public Library to take the challenge

and make reading a habit!

Shared reading time is one of the most important ways to prepare a child for success in

school. Research shows that children who are read to from birth have:

larger vocabularies

higher IQs

stronger social connections

better problem-solving skills

Reading equals success, children who read on grade level by third grade perform better

in high school and are more likely to go on to college. Read together for 30 days prior to

April 1 to earn fun prizes including a “We READ” t-shirt for kids and library tote bag for

adults. For more information, visit one of our 17 locations, visit phoenixpubliclibrary.org

or call 602-262-4636.

March 9, 2016 – 6:00 PM

Desert Horizon Precinct will be hosting Coffee with a Cop and also presenting a use of

force presentation on March 9, 2016 located at the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge at

12851 N 19th Avenue from 6:00pm to 8:00pm

March 23, 2016 – 8:00AM

Black Mountain Precinct will be holding their Coffee with a Cop on March 23, 2016

located at Times Square at 718 East Union Hills Drive at 8:00am

Text Amendments – Smoke Shops and Medical Marijuana The last Neighborhood, Housing and Development was a special Council Meeting so that all Councilmembers could attend and discuss amendments to the Tobacco Oriented Dealer “Smoke Shop” Ordinance and the Medical Marijuana Ordinance. You can view the Special Council Meeting here: youtu.be/JoQhDaswvj8. Discussion on these items begins at the 9:00 minute mark. These amendments are in response to concerned citizens and community groups. Tobacco Oriented Dealer Amendments (Smoke Shops):

Adding e-cigarettes and vape lounge to the definition

Requiring a tobacco oriented dealer certificate and trigger spacing requirements if more than 5% of the floor space is dedicated to smoke related items – currently 15% of floor space

Add public recreation centers to separation requirements

Increase separation requirements between parks, schools, and public recreation centers from 500 feet to 1,320 feet (1/4 mile)

And I have requested that places of worship be included in separation requirements As the initial amendments to the Tobacco Oriented Dealer ordinance did not include places of worship, the ordinance will go back to the Planning Commission for review and potentially the city Village Planning Commissions if requested. Medical Marijuana Dispensary Spacing Requirements I have requested that new language limit the number of dispensaries to one per Community Health Analysis Areas (CHAA) or Village Planning Committee boundaries. This would limit the number of dispensaries allowed to operate in Phoenix to 14. Currently, spacing requirements are 5,280 feet (one mile) from each other, and 1,320 feet from schools and public libraries or parks, and 500 feet from places of worship. I am seeing numerous applications for medical marijuana dispensaries in District 3 as are my other City Councilmembers. Dispensaries that have been operating in other areas of the state are now moving into the metropolitan area, specifically Phoenix. Should recreational marijuana pass, all currently permitted medical dispensaries can instantly switch to recreational marijuana facilities. As a city, it is important that we strengthen our medical marijuana regulations as soon as possible. The Planning Department will be developing language and there will be public meetings for comment and input. As those are scheduled, I will let you know.

Get ready to see Phoenix differently, 28 Maps Later

The city of Phoenix is excited to launch "28 Maps Later", a social

media campaign which will introduce residents to an innovative

new mapping tool. Want to see where city dog parks and

swimming pools are? Have you wondered which police precinct

or council district you live in? The new mapping portal tool,

created by the city's Geographic Information System (GIS) team,

provides a new way to visualize this important information.

The city of Phoenix believes in transparency through open data,

encouraging residents to learn more about their city by visiting

Phoenix.gov/OpenData. Throughout February, the "28 Maps

Later" campaign will feature a different open data map each day on the City of Phoenix social

media pages as well as through #28MapsLater.

Open data helps facilitate government transparency in the digital age through advanced

technology and innovation. Aside from the mobile-friendly and easy-to-use Mapping Portal

Tool, users can also review and download all kinds of useful information, including crime data,

what the city is buying, how much it pays employees, and much more.

"Giving the world open access to data on city services and operations can unleash the creativity

and invention of our growing technology sector for new solutions to our city's challenges," said

Councilman Bill Gates, chair of the City Council's Finance, Efficiency, Economy and Sustainability

Subcommittee.

Phoenix will continue to update data sets and the Mapping Portal Tool with additional

information on a regular basis at Phoenix.gov/OpenData.

Download a complete list at phoenix.gov/opendata of the scheduled content being shared

through "28 Maps Later" and get ready to see Phoenix differently!

WESD News in District 3 – February11, 2016 Washington Elementary School District will be hosting the WESD Community Food Drive (#WESDCommunityFoodDrive2016) from Tuesday, Feb. 16 through Friday, Feb. 26 to benefit St. Mary's Food Bank Alliance. Right now, one in four children in Arizona is going to bed hungry. WESD can help change that. As a community leader and partner with St. Mary’s Food Bank Alliance, WESD is asking every school to participate. Each student is asked to bring in canned food to donate during those two weeks. The school with the most donated food (as determined by the number of pounds per student) will win an ice cream party for the entire school and a trophy to recognize its efforts. Last year we collected more than 151,676 pounds of food! Questions about getting involved may be directed to Jill Hicks, WESD director of Community Engagement and Marketing, at 602-347-2644. For those in the audience at the annual WESD Spelling Bee, it was evident that many of the spellers were “fastidious” when it came to preparing for the competition. The bee went 17 rounds before Lookout Mountain sixth grader Jaidyn M. took the top honor with the correct spelling of “fastidious.” The runner-up was Mountain Sky Junior High eighth grader Jessica Z., who finished as a runner-up two years ago. The girls will be joined by the WESD’s other top six spellers at the Maricopa County Region IV Bee February 19 at the WESD Administrative Center, 9:30 a.m. Joining Jaidyn and Jessica are Sierra M., eighth grade, Abraham Lincoln Traditional; Aria H., eighth grade, Desert Foothills Junior High; Amethyst B., sixth grade, Ironwood Elementary (also finished in the top eight last year); Jasmyn D., sixth grade, Ocotillo Elementary; Ammar A., fifth grade, Roadrunner Elementary; and Kaleia M., eighth grade, Sunnyslope School. The winner of the Region IV competition moves on to the state competition March 19 where the top 27 spellers from around the state compete. The winner of the state bee participates in the Scripps National Spelling Bee in May, in Washington, D.C. Best of luck to all of our WESD finalists! Hollywood’s biggest night, the Academy Awards, is just over two weeks away. No matter if you’re a movie buff or not, you’ll want to watch because you won’t want to miss some of WESD’s biggest stars! Today, ABC15 Arizona paid a special visit to Juanita Stotts’ third grade class at Sunnyslope School to film the class for part of a special promotional spot that will run during the Oscars! No SAG cards were necessary, as Ms. Stotts and her students weren’t acting – they were behaving like the amazing teacher and students that they are! Ms. Stotts led her students through a variety of lessons on the SMARTBoard and a reading activity that incorporated science and

language arts – a great example of the teaching and learning that occurs each and every day in the WESD! WESD is hosting a Teacher Interview Fair Saturday, February 27, 2016, from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at Palo Verde Middle School, 7502 N. 39th Avenue. If you know an education major who’s graduating in May, an educator who is planning a move to Phoenix or a teacher who is looking to change district’s, please let him or know about the fair. Individuals may contact Human Resources at 602-347-2622 or 602-347-3598 for more information

City of Phoenix to Offer Free Tax Preparation, Filing Help The city of Phoenix will be offering free tax help for qualified individuals and families. The city's Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) campaign will help working families who earned less than $54,000 in 2015 with free tax preparation and filing services, starting on Monday, Jan 25. Individuals and families may qualify and file for the child tax credit, dependent care credit, the education tax credit and the EITC tax credit up to $6,269 at the city's free tax preparation sites, the city said in a statement. The free tax help will be at 16 sites around the city. A list of the locations, including hours and days of operation, is available at phoenix.gov/etc. It is important to remember that hours and days of operation vary for different locations. Taxpayers must bring a picture ID for themselves and spouse, Social Security cards and/or Individual Tax Identification Number cards for all household members. They also must bring a variety of documents to insure tax preparers are able to help, including proof of income like W-2s and 1099 Retirement Income information for other income, 1095-A as verification of medical insurance premium tax credit received, verification of all other deductions/credits and the amount of money paid to child care provider (if applicable). If filing jointly, both adults must be present to sign the return. For a full list of what to bring, and what volunteers will and will not prepare, click here. For information about the city of Phoenix EITC program, visit phoenix.gov/eitc. For more information about Valley wide EITC site locations and hours of operation, call the Internal Revenue Service at 1-800-906-98

Directory of Phoenix Arts and Cultural Organizations

The City of Phoenix Office of Arts and Culture web site hosts an interactive portal for folks wanting to learn more about the locations, programs and contact information for the city’s cultural organizations. The map allows arts and culture organizations to see themselves in relation to other organizations, schools, and community spaces (parks, libraries, recreation centers, community centers, and senior centers) as part of the Phoenix Office of Arts and Culture's initiative to create resources that will encourage partnerships between organizations, their surrounding neighborhoods, and the Phoenix community at large. It can be found here: https://www.phoenix.gov/arts/arts-and-cultural-organization-directory The Office of Arts and Culture also worked with Artlink and Downtown Phoenix Journal to include locations and descriptions of downtown cultural facilities and public art through the recently-launched Phoenix Urban Guide. It can be reached here: http://phoenixurbanguide.com/ Office of Arts and Culture In 1985, the Phoenix City Council established the Phoenix Arts Commission to "preserve and enhance the natural beauty of Phoenix, its cultural and artistic heritage and to encourage the proliferation of the arts in all facets of the public and private sectors." The creation of the commission marked the city's commitment to the key role art can play in building a better city. The program has since expanded to includethe Office of Arts and Culture. Today, the Phoenix Office of Arts and Culture manages an acclaimed public art program; administers a grants program; promotes arts learning; conducts research; advocates for the arts and oversees the city's cultural planning

Take the Bike Safe Phoenix Pledge The City of Phoenix needs your help to make our roadways a safer place to bike. Whether you are a bicyclist, motorist, or pedestrian, everyone contributes to the safety of our city streets. The Phoenix Street Transportation Department invites you to make a personal commitment to help make Phoenix's streets safer for all users of the roadway by taking the Bike Safe Phoenix pledge. Make your pledge today. The Bike Safe Phoenix Pledge can be found here: phoenix.gov/streetssite/Pages/Bicycle-Safety-Pledge.as

Where’s Bill Answers A. Coffee with a Cop at the Arizona Sheraton Hotel. B. Taking a ride in the Pavement Assessment Van with the City of Phoenix Streets Department C. Kennedy Space Center in Orlando, Florida.